Laundry conditioner dispenser system



Sept. 17, 1968 o. c. SIEGLA LAUNDRY CONDITIONER DISPENSER SYSTEM Filed April 17, 1967 9: cf. W

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,401,834 LAUNDRY CONDITIONER DISPENSER SYSTEM Donald C. Siegla, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 631,461 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-62) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In preferred form, a system for directing a conditioning agent into a washer apparatus including a fluid amplifier having its inlet connected to the supply conduit of the laundry apparatus and a first outlet directly connected to the air gap inlet to the laundry apparatus and a second outlet connected through fluid dispensing means and thence to the air gap inlet; means responsive to a washer controller to produce a power jet controlling pressure differential within the amplifier to divert flow through one or the other of the outlets of the amplifier without any mechanical means being movably interposed in the fluid flowing through the supply conduit to the apparatus.

This invention is directed to an improved fluid supply system for a domestic washer and more particularly to an improved system for directing fill fluid to a washing container and means for periodically releasing a conditioning agent into the fill system.

In clothes washers it is desirable to include a capability for periodically directing various conditioning agents such as water softeners, rinse conditions, bleaches, dyes, and the like into a wash fill system during diflerent phases of operation of the washer apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved conditioning agent dispenser and washer fill system that includes means for diverting fluid flow through first and second supply paths to an air gap forming supply chute to a water container of domestic washer apparatus without the need for mechanically diverting the fluid flowing between the paths.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved laundry conditioner dispenser and fill system that includes a first fluid flow path for fill fluid defined in part by the inlet and one outlet of a fluid amplifier that has a power jet deflected in a first predetermined path by control means producing a first pressure differential transverse to the power jet and a second fluid flow path for dispensing a conditioning agent defined in part by the inlet and a second outlet of the fluid amplifier and conditioner dispenser means that responds to fluid flow through the second path when said control means produces a reversal of the pressure diflerential across the power jet so as to release conditioning agents into the air gap to a water container of clothes washer apparatus.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of a domestic clothes washer apparatus including the fluid supply system of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view of a first embodiment of the control system shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of a second embodiment of the invention as shown in FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 1 a diagrammatically illustrated domestic washer apparatus is shown in association with an improved fill and fluid conditioner dispensing system 12. For

purposes of describing the present invention, it is only necessary to indicate that the washer 10 includes a Water container 14 into which water or other suitable cleaning fluid is directed for carrying-out a washing operation on articles contained therein. In systems of this type, it is often desirable to periodically direct a controlled amount of a particular conditioning agent such as bleach, rinse conditioner, soap, water softeners, and the like to improve the results of a predetermined cycle washing operation on the articles. To carry-out such an operation in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the system 12 includes a supply conduit 16 that communicates through a hot and cold water mixing valve 18 with hot and cold water conduits 20, 22 of a typical domestic water supply. The supply conduit 16 connects to the inlet of a fluid amplifier 24 that is controlled to divert fluid through a first branch line 26 to the interior of a rinse dispenser 28 having an outlet conduit 30 therefrom connected to a Y-shaped fluid supply fitting 32 that has two inlets and an outlet that supplies fluid through an air gap 34 thence through an inlet supply chute 36 that overlies a top access opening to the water container 14. Additionally, the system 12 includes a second branch conduit 38 from the fluid amplifier 24 that by-passes the conditioning agent dispenser 28 and is in direct communication with the inlet supply chute 36.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIGURE 2, the fluid amplifier 24 includes an inlet 40 and a downstream nozzle 42 that produces a power jet which flows through a fluid interaction region 44 upstream of a fixed abutment or splitter member 46. The top of the splitter 46 serves to separate the outlet 26 from the outlet 38. In this embodiment, conditioning agent dispenser 28 has an inlet opening 48 at the upper end of a cylindrical housing 50 that includes a conically shaped bottom 52 which tapers to a predetermined diameter forming an outlet fitting 54 which connects to the conduit 30. The housing 50 defines a chamber 56 in which a predetermined amount of conditioning agent is placed prior to automatic operation of the machine 10. The chamber is closed by a cover member 58 that fits over an upper open end. The conditioner includes a small ball float 60 at the bottom thereon which blocks fitting 54 to retain the conditioning agent Within the chamber 56.

During a fill operation when the mixing valve 18 is conditioned to communicate the conduits 20, 22, an energization circuit is completed to condition a solenoid actuated valve 62 in a pressure feed-back line 64 of the amplifier 24 to block communication between the supply conduit 16 and a jet control port 66 at the opposite end of the conduit 64 facing the interaction region 44 transversely of the path of the power jet 40 therethrough. The interaction region 44 also communicates at a control jet port 68 through a path 70 with atmosphere. In this arrangement, the power jet is deflected by the control pressure between ports 66, 68 through the outlet 38, fitting 32 and directly across the air gap into the chute 36. Following a predetermined fill phase of operation, the valve 18 terminates flow through the conduit 16. During a given cycle of washer operation, such as a rinse cycle, the valves 18 and 62 may be simultaneously conditioned to cause flow from the inlet of amplifier 24 and through the pressure feed-back line 64 between the conduit 16 and control port 66. When this occurs, a reverse pressure differential is produced between the control ports 66 and 68 that will deflect the power jet from the outlet 38 to the outlet 26. This occurs without any movable mechanical component being placed in the fluid flow to chute 36. As the fluid passes through the outlet 26 it will fill the chamber 56 and the specific gravity of the mixture contained Within the fluid 56 will reach a point at which the ball float 60 will rise within the chamber 56 to allow fluid flow 3 through the outlet 54 to flush the conditioning agent in chamber 56 through the conduit 30 and fitting 32 to chute 36 and into Water container 14.

In the embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG- URE 3, a fluid amplifier 72 that includes an inlet 74 communicating with a supply conduit 76 like conduit 16 in the first embodiment. The amplifier also includes outlet conduits 78, 80 communicating with a Y-shaped fitting 82 .and thence to an air gap forming chute 84 like those shown in the first arrangement. The system also includes a conditioning agent dispenser 86 between conduit 80 and fitting 82 of the same type as dispenser 28 of the first arrangement.

In this arrangement, there is a power jet forming nozzle 88 in the amplifier 72, a splitter 90 and an interaction region 92 therebetween across which is formed a pressure diflerential between ports 94, 96 that face on opposite sides of region 92. The pressure differential across the ports 94, 96 is reversed by means including a valve element 98 that is carried out on a pivotal arm 100 operated in a first position to close an open end of a control conduit 102 as illustrated or into the dotted line position to close the inlet end of a control conduit 104 communicating with the control port 94. When a solenoid coil 106 is energized, the pivotal .arm 100 is shifted from the solid to the dotted line position.

By virtue of the above described embodiment, to maintain a washer fill phase of Operation, the coil 106 is energized and the control port 96 is maintained at atmospheric pressure with the control port 94 being closed by the valving element 98. Thus, a pressure differential acts on the power jet to cause it to flow through the outlet control 78 directly to the inlet chute 84.

When the coil 106 is de-energized, as seen in FIGURE 3, the port 94 is at atmospheric pressure and the port 96 is closed thereby to produce a reversal of the control pres sure differential and a deflection of the power jet from its path through the outlet 78 to a path through the outlet 80 thence through the dispenser 86 for releasing a conditioning agent therefrom as described in the prior em bodiment.

Both of the above described embodiments of the present invention permit a small solenoid valve to be substituted for a much larger solenoid valve that is required in typical dispensing systems of the type presently used thus substantially reducing operational noise levels in the system. Further advantages are that the fluid amplifier can be controlled by a conventional pair of timer contacts energizing the power circuit for valve 62 ,a coil 196 to produce agent dispensing at any desired preset time during the timer programmed Washing cycle of operation.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid supply system for a domestic washer having a tub comprising a mixing valve having plural inlets and an outlet, a supply conduit receiving all the fluid flow from said mixing valve, a fluid amplifier including a fixed abutment defining a first outlet and a second outlet, said amplifier having an inlet connected to said supply conduit for receiving all the fluid flow from said mixing valve, 21 fluid supply fitting having first and second inlets thereto and an outlet for directing flow into a washer tub, a conduit directly connecting one of said fluid amplifier outlets to one of said fluid supply fitting inlets for directing all the fluid flow from said mixing valve into the washer tub during a first preselected washer operation, means including conditioner dispensing means for connecting the other of said fluid amplifier outlets to the other of said fluid supply fitting inlets, said conditioner dispensing means having a housing with a top inlet and ,a bottom outlet, a float valve closing said bottom outlet responding to liquid flow into said container to open said bottom outlet, said amplifier including control means for establishing a pressure differential up-stream of said fixed abutment, nozzle means forming a jet up-stream of said differential pressure region through which all the mixing valve fluid flows, said control means establishing a first dilferential pressure acting on said jet for diverting it through said one of said outlets and said conduit to said one of said fitting inlets for causing all fluid flow from said mixing valve to enter the tub during the first preselected washer operation, and means for conditioning said pressure differential control means for reversing the pressure diflerential downstream of said nozzle means to cause said jet to pass through the other of said outlets ,and into said conditioner dispensing means for operating said conditioner dispensing means by directing all the fluid flow from said mixing valve through said housing to flush conditioning agent through said bottom outlet and into the other of the inlets of said fluid distributing fitting.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,001,539 9/1961 Hurvitz 13781.5 3,019,629 2/1962 Ross 68-17 3,086,379 4/1963 Plante 6812 3,301,022 1/1967 LOW 68-12 3,320,777 5/1967 Morey 68-12 3,324,688 6/1967 Hubbard 68207 X SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

